Corset-stay.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905 J. E. DOOLITTLE.

CORSET STAY.

APPLIOATIOK FILED AUG. 26, 1904.

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WITNESSES.

IINTTED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

JAMES E. DOOLITTLE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BIRDSEY AND SOMERS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COPART- NERSHIP.

CORSET-STAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,009, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed August 26,1904. Serial No. 222,270.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. DOOLI'ITLE, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful Corset-Stay,of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive front stay especially adapted for low-bust straight-front corsets. It is a matter of general knowledge that the trade at the present time calls for large quantities of this type of corsets. One of the requirements for low-bust corsets is a front stay which shall be stifl and relatively unyielding at the bottom and center, but relatively flexible and yielding at the top, thereby adding greatly to the comfort of the wearer. WVhere ordinary stays heavy enough to give the required rigidity at the bottom and center are used, the rigidity at the top frequently causes serious inconvenience and discomfort to the wearer. This difficulty is not avoided I by the use of lighter stays, for the reason that in overcoming one objection another is encountered -to Wit, insuflicient strength and rigidity at the bottom and center.

The objections above noted to front stays for straight-front low-bust corsets have been partially overcome by the use of speciallyrolled tapering stays made thinnest at their upper ends, which, however, are expensive to produce and are for that reason not adapted to any except the highest-priced corsets, and have, moreover, failed to overcome in an entirely satisfactory manner the objections noted. In order, therefore, to overcome the objections to ordinary front stays for straightfront low bust corsets in a thoroughly satisfactory manner and without appreciably increasing the cost of production, I have devised the novel double stay which I will now describe, referring-to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my novel front stay detached, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing the stay flexed in order to illustrate its operation in use when the wearer bends forward.

My novel stay consists of the usual members provided with coacting fastening devices and indicated by A and B, member A being shown as provided with studs and member B with eyes or books 11. The essential novelty of the invention lies in the fact that each member is made to consist of an inner and an outer strip, both made of relatively light metal. The inner strip of both members, Which is the full length of the stay, is indicated by 12, and the outer strip, which is made two-thirds, more or less, the length of the inner strip, is indicated by 13. The upper stud l0 and upper eye 11, as shown in the drawings, are secured to the inner strips of members A and B, respectively, and all of the studs and eyes below the upper stud and eye are secured to the outer strip. It is of course immaterial, however, just how many studs and eyes are used and whether one or more of said studs and eyes are secured to the inner strips of the members. When assembled, the outer strip lies above the inner strip and in alinement with it. Said strips are secured together, however, at the bottom of the stay only. In the drawings I have shown the strips of both members as secured together by eyelets 1 1, the strips of member B being additionally secured together by the rivets 15, which secure the lower eye or hook 11 in place, and the strips of member A being additionally secured together by the shank of the lower stud 10, as clearly shownin Fig. 2.

In use the stays are of course covered in the usual manner. The effect in use of attaching the strips of each member together at the bottom only is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The stay-pockets (not shown in the drawings) of course prevent the strips from separating to any appreciable extent. The upper end of the outer strip is free, however, to slide slightly upon the inner strip, and the upper end of the inner strip Where it is not reinforced by the outer strip is flexible enough to bend with the movements of the wearer without causing the slightest inconvenience or discomfort. The

central and lower portions of the stay being double are amply strong and rigid to withstand all the strains of use.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim A front stay for corsets comprising members provided with coacting fastening devices, each member consisting of two superimposed strips having their lower ends substantially flush with each other and connected together, their intermediate and upper portions being unconnected, one of said strips terminating at a point considerably short of the upper end of the other strip and free to slide thereon whereby the bottom and center portions of the stay are stifl and relatively unyielding, the upper portion of the stay being relatively flexible and yielding and of a length to permit the wearer to bend without discomfort, the upper fastening devices being connected only with the 1 longer strip, and the intermediate fastening devices being connected only with the shorter strip.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. DOOLITTLE.

Witnesses A. M. WOOSTER, S. WV. ATHERTON. 

